(Forever)
Nic Stone
Oct 6, 2026
Hardcover
Juvenile Fiction / African American & Black / Health & Daily Living / Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries / Social Themes / Friendship
Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Dear Martin series comes a spin-off novel written in prose and letters-in-verse about a thirteen-year-old girl navigating cancer, family challenges, and newfound friendship during an overnight chemo treatment.
The first time Dasia Monae Riley saw an IV bag, she was half-conscious in the back of an ambulance, her body burning with a life-threatening fever with no explanation. It wouldn’t be the last ambulance ride—not before the words acute lymphoblastic leukemia changed everything.
Now Dasia is going through chemotherapy alone in her hospital room. Until one night, a mysterious cancer patient named Jimmy appears at her bedside.
Dasia is initially put off by Jimmy’s hospital rule-breaking and privileged background. But Dasia soon learns that they have a lot in common: incarcerated family, emotionally absentee moms, distant younger brothers, older brothers with mental health disorders, and feeling lonely in their cancer treatment. As the two girls swap stories, Dasia reflects on letters she's written to her incarcerated older brother about her responsibilities and struggles. She realizes that she’s not as alone as she thought—and maybe there’s still a reason to fight.
In a spin-off to the Dear Martin series, New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone delivers a heart-wrenching story of resilience, connection, and the fight to stay alive when battling illness and bearing the weight of difficult circumstances.
The first time Dasia Monae Riley saw an IV bag, she was half-conscious in the back of an ambulance, her body burning with a life-threatening fever with no explanation. It wouldn’t be the last ambulance ride—not before the words acute lymphoblastic leukemia changed everything.
Now Dasia is going through chemotherapy alone in her hospital room. Until one night, a mysterious cancer patient named Jimmy appears at her bedside.
Dasia is initially put off by Jimmy’s hospital rule-breaking and privileged background. But Dasia soon learns that they have a lot in common: incarcerated family, emotionally absentee moms, distant younger brothers, older brothers with mental health disorders, and feeling lonely in their cancer treatment. As the two girls swap stories, Dasia reflects on letters she's written to her incarcerated older brother about her responsibilities and struggles. She realizes that she’s not as alone as she thought—and maybe there’s still a reason to fight.
In a spin-off to the Dear Martin series, New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone delivers a heart-wrenching story of resilience, connection, and the fight to stay alive when battling illness and bearing the weight of difficult circumstances.
